Developers Pay For Life-saving Equipment Outside Ash Pub

Published on: 19 May, 2022
Updated on: 24 May, 2022

The new defibrillator outside The Lion Brewery. From left, Steve Messenbird, Mike and Lyndsey Armitage of the Lion Brewery, and Bellway’s Deborah Walker.

An Ash resident who underwent open-heart surgery in 2010 has successfully secured a donation from development company Bellway to provide a new defibrillator in the village.

The equipment has been installed outside The Lion Brewery pub in Ash thanks to a £1,700 donation from the house builders.

Bellway, who are building new homes at Admiral Park Tongham, and Wildflower Meadow, near Ash Station, funded the life-saving equipment after meeting local resident Steve Messenbird, who had previously undergone heart surgery.

Steve said: “We have been investigating the possibility of getting a defibrillator within this corner of Ash for some time, but it was a chance meet with a member of the Bellway management team that set the ball rolling. I was absolutely delighted when they agreed to pay for the defibrillator outright.

“Having undergone open heart surgery in 2010, I understand the benefits of having a defibrillator and the necessity to have one available quickly should the need arise.

“In the years to come, I am sure this contribution will save lives.”

A defibrillator is a machine that uses an electric current to make someone’s heart beat in a regular way when it has stopped doing this, or to start a heart beating again when it has stopped.

According to the British Heart Foundation, as many as 100,000 hospital admissions each year are due to heart attacks.

The defibrillator was installed free of charge by a local electrician. The power supply and the maintenance of the device will be provided by the landlords of The Lion Brewery, Mike and Lyndsey Armitage.

Mike said: “With an ageing community around us, our pub is the ideal place to house the defibrillator and we are delighted to support this initiative.

“The Lion Brewery is at the centre of the community. It is next to the park where organised children’s football takes place and in front of the entrance to Ash Ranges where dog walkers, bikers and hikers come daily.”

Daniel Williamson, sales director of Bellway South London, said: “We are pleased to have been able to support the safety and well-being of people in the community near the homes we build.”

Wildflower Meadow is a housing development of 154 homes, just off the Guildford Road, Ash, and a few hundred yards from the Lion Brewery. Admiral Park, Tongham, is an estate of 254 homes off The Street, Tongham.